BBC fiasco claims two more top chiefs

BBC fiasco claims two more top chiefs

BBC Acting Director General Tim Davie arrives for work at New Broadcasting House

I hope I get the chance to meet Lord McAlpine to explain and to say how sorry I am

Steve Messham,

Director of news Helen Boaden, 56, and her deputy Stephen Mitchell, 63, both agreed to go.

It comes 24 hours after George Entwistle, 50, resigned as director general with a £450,000 pay-off after just 54 days in the job.

Yesterday his replacement Tim Davie, 45, whose salary is £349,000, sparked immediate controversy by walking out on a live interview with Sky.

He cut short an interview with the rival broadcaster’s Dermot Murnaghan, 54, after being asked repeatedly if Mr Entwistle was responsible for the Newsnight film which led to innocent Lord McAlpine, 70, being falsely branded a paedophile.

As Mr Davie walked off Murnaghan said: “I bet he wouldn’t do that to the BBC.”

A BBC spokesman later claimed the interview had over-run and Davie had to leave to do another.

The acting DG refused to say if more heads would roll as 20,000 TV viewers joined calls for the abolition of the corporation’s licence fee funding.